Disclaimer – Um. I don't own anything… Well, technically I own myself and stuff. But not in the story.
Warnings – This chapter is more tame. Robin is still getting twisted but I repeat! I'm not doing things to Robin because I don't like him. I love him as much as the others, but he needs to be more twisted for this story.
Other – Give me a review and I'll be you best friend. For forever.
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Jump City was quiet for the next week or so. It was as if all the villains had decided to call a group vacation.
For Raven, that week was time enough to recover and regain control of her emotions. When she closed her eyes, she still saw Red X crumpled on the floor, still felt the blade plunging into her arm.
The other Titans had left to herself, nobody but Star questioning her absence, and after a while, Raven felt that she owed her only friend the truth. The next time Star came knocking, Raven would talk.
And at the rate Star was checking up on Rae, the next knock was due any moment. Raven glanced around her room, anxiously. Her walls were lined with bookcases overflowing with old texts and scrolls. Scattered around the room were small statues, some of demons, some of angels, some of other worldly creatures. Her bed was center stage, a large round thing with plenty of deep red pillows piled on top.
As she suspected, Starfire was at her door within two minutes.
"Friend Raven, please answer."
Raven opened the door apprehensively, "Star… would you like to come in?"
Star's jaw dropped, "I would love to enter the room of your sleeping! But… you do not let anyone in your room. I do not wish to impose."
"I'm closing the door Star. In or out?" Raven started sliding the door shut. Starfire squeezed her eyes closed and shuttled inside before Raven could lock her out again.
"It is…"
Raven waited for the usual remark; dark, murky, ugly, plain, dungeon-like, but it never came.
"It is simply glorious."
It was obviously a lie of some sort, but Raven was glad that Star at least tried to like it.
"Thanks. Star… I'd like to talk to you if I could."
"Of course, Friend Raven!" Star raced over to Raven's bed and leapt upon it, eyes wide, "I would greatly enjoy listening."
Raven settled down near the mound of pillows, placing one on her lap for comfort. It was an unconscious gesture, placing something in front of what scared her. Most people, when they were anxious, tried to get anything between them and another person, be a speaker with a podium, or a shy girl and her pillow.
"I'd like to tell you what happened while I was missing…"
Star listened with rapt attention, not wanting to interrupt Raven for fear of making Raven stop completely.
"When I was going through the maze there was a trap door, somehow. I fell through it and was trapped. It was set for me and that makes me wonder about Robin. He specifically sent me down that way on my own. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that Robin wouldn't try to hurt me."
Star's eyebrows furrowed together, though she remained silent.
"I was trapped in this cave, of sorts. There was only one way out, through this door. But it was locked and I couldn't get out. While I was down there, I was attacked by Red X. He said someone paid him to do this." Raven didn't want to say it, but she was sure it was Robin, "We ended up fighting and he managed to slice my neck and stab my arm. I couldn't heal them properly in time, and ended up with these lovely scars."
Reaching over, Star ran a finger across Raven's throat, "He did mean to kill you?"
"I think so. He seemed intent on hurting me."
"However did you beat him?"
Raven drew back, unsure if she should tell Starfire everything. Maybe she could get away with being vague.
"I… choked him."
"With your arm and neck in such horrible condition?"
"Yes…" The more she talked, the more she knew her story wasn't going to cut it. "Star, there are just some things I can't tell you."
"Do you not trust me?" Star held no blade, yet she could stab deeper than any sword.
"I do…" Raven trailed off. Would it really hurt to let one person in on her secret?
"Please, Friend Raven. Let me in."
Raven rubbed a hand over her face and sighed, "You wouldn't believe me."
"I would!"
"I'm a Reaper, Star."
"You are a what?"
"A Reaper. I take people's souls after death."
Star leaned back, drawing an arm across her stomach, "You kill people?"
"Not unless I have to. I haven't yet. It's kind of against the rules."
"There are rules for you?"
"Well, not written down. But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be good if a living Death Reaper went around killing for fun."
"Did… did you kill Mumbo?"
"I told you, Star, I don't kill. I reap what others have sown. Mumbo was having heart problems; Robin's gas just threw him over the edge. It wasn't Robin's fault that Mumbo died."
"Why did you not simply tell Friend Robin that?"
"This is supposed to be a secret. I trust that you will tell no-one."
"Of course, Friend Raven, though I wish we might help Robin. He has not been well."
"I've done all I can except tell him about myself."
"I understand, Friend Raven, even if I do not like it." She leaned forward, giving Raven a gentle hug, "Thank you for confiding the secrets in me."
Raven let her hug for a moment before pushing away, "Thanks for listening." A small smile graced her lips, "I just hope I'm wrong about our Boy Blunder."
She couldn't have been more right.
"Can you handle this, Robin?"
"Of course," Robin's voice was sure and cocky, but his insides were tumultuous. It was one thing to think of revenge, and another to enact it.
He wasn't sure who was hiring him, but he'd followed his lead from the Shocking Flame to a dark alley where a shadowed figure hung about near trashcans.
The figure seemed all too expectant that Robin would show up.
Robin was unnerved, but if this would help him get his revenge, so be it.
"Good. I will set things up. All you need to do is put this in her drink and lure her to the spot we discussed." A gloved hand offered a small white tablet.
"This will drug her? I thought she was going to fight?"
"No, my boy, this will poison her."
Robin's smile faded a moment, "I didn't want her to die."
"If you want to make an omelet, you've got to crack a few heads…" With these parting words, the figure dissolved into darkness.
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Star entered her room, content with the world. Raven trusted her and she was a happy duckling. Her happy bubble was burst as she noted that her things had been moved around. Somebody had been in her room.
Instantly alert, she glanced around for a primary search. Nothing evident. A secondary search was required. Cautiously, she ducked her head into the closet. Her nose went straight into one of her outfits.
That was the last thing she remembered.
In the kitchen Robin stirred a cup of herbal tea. He was having serious second thoughts about this. But Raven needed to understand that he could not be toyed with. Robin was not a killer.
He took out the pill, staring at it for a minute or so before dropping it in the tea with a frown. The tea bubbled for a moment and then flattened. Raven would never know the difference.
Raven appeared in the doorway.
"Hello, Robin."
"Raven. I made you some tea. Star was telling us that you weren't doing too well."
"I'm feeling better now, thank you."
Robin gave her the cup, swallowing hard. He didn't want to give his ploy away, so he pretended to be wiping up the kitchen counter as she took her first few sips.
"Thanks, Rob. I really needed this." She nodded to him before going to shove Beastboy off the couch.
He smirked; after the deed was done it seemed almost too simple.
